Dog Breed Guide

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  American Pit Bull Terrier

  (UKC Terrier Group) Height: 18 to 20 inches (male); 16 to 20 inches (female). Size: Medium. Weight: 35 to 60 pounds (male); 30 to 55 pounds (female). Availability: May take some effort to find. History: Several types of dogs are currently called “pit bulls” in the United States: the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull [...]

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  Beagle

  (AKC Hound Group) Height: 33 cm to 38 cm. Size: Small. Weight: 9 kg to 13 kg. Availability: Very popular. History: The Beagle is one of the most popular scent hounds because of his energy, willingness and merry, sweet disposition. The breed probably originated as a cross between the Harrier and other hounds in England. The Beagle has been [...]

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  Boston Terrier

  (AKC Non-Sporting Group) Height: averages 38 cm. Size: Small. Weight: up to 11 kg. Availability: Widely available. History: The Boston Terrier is a native American breed that originated from crosses involving English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and some terrier breeds. The breed was shown first in Boston, hence the name. The Boston Terrier was recognized by the AKC [...]

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  Boxer

  (AKC Working Group) Height: 57 cm to 63 cm (male); 53 cm to 59 cm (female). Size: Large. Weight: averages 31 kg (male); averages 27 kg (female). Availability: Very popular. History: The Boxer probably originated in the mid-1800’s from powerful ancestors of the Mastiff and Bulldog. Early on, these dogs were prized for hunting, bull baiting, and for pulling carts. A [...]

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  Brittany

  (AKC Sporting Group) Height: 44 cm to 52 cm Size: Medium. Weight: 13 to 18 kg Availability: Widely available. History: This hearty hunting dog probably originated in Brittany, a province in France. The Brittany was first shown in that country in 1896. A versatile hunter, the Brittany can point as well as retrieve. An excellent worker on upland [...]

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  Bulldog

  Bulldog (AKC Non-Sporting Group) Height: 35 cm to 43 cm Size: Medium. Weight: averages 22 kg (male); averages 18 kg (female). Availability: Widely available. History: During the Middle Ages, butchers in England developed the “Olde English Bulldogge” to help them catch bulls for slaughter. The dog’s short muzzle and strong jaws, allowed it to hold onto the target animal’s nose, cheek, or throat long [...]

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  Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

  ong a royal pet, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was named for King Charles II. History tells us that Charles II was rarely seen without at least one of two Cavaliers at his heels.

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  Chihuahua

  (AKC Toy Group) Height: 15 cm to 22 cm Size: Very Small. Weight: 0 to 2 kg Availability: Very popular. History: The world’s tiniest dog is named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua whence he was brought to the rest of the world by travelers. This breed is believed to have been sacred to the Pre-Columbian Indian nations, [...]

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  Cocker Spaniel

  (AKC Sporting Group) Height: 36 to 38 cm (male); 33 to 36 cm (female). Size: Small. Weight: averages 12 kg (male); averages 11 kg (female). Availability: Very popular. History: The popular Cocker Spaniel, sometimes called the American Cocker Spaniel, was originally developed from English Cocker Spaniels brought to the United States. The American Cocker is smaller than the English [...]

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  Dachshund

  (AKC Hound Group) Height: 12 cm to 22 cm Size: Very Small. Weight: 4 kg to 11 kg Availability: Very popular. History: The first documentation of a Dachshund-type dog is found in an Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb that is than 5000 years old. The dog’s length was developed (probably from natural short-legged mutations) to help dig den animals out of their holes, particularly the [...]

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  Doberman Pinscher

  (AKC Working Group) Height: 66 cm to 71 cm (male);  61 cm to 66 cm (female). Size: Large. Weight: 31  to 34 kg (male); 27 to 29 kg (female). Availability: Very popular. History: The Doberman Pinscher was named after Louis Dobermann, a German who developed the breed in the late 1800’s. Dobermann was a tax collector working in rough neighborhoods, rightfully [...]

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  English Springer Spaniel

  (AKC Sporting Group) Height: averages 51 cm (male); averages 48 cm (female). Size: Medium. Weight: 22 to 25 kg (male); 20 to 23 kg (female). Availability: May take some effort to find. History: The Springer Spaniel gets his name from his method of flushing game; he springs forward to drive birds out of hiding. This breed hunts well both [...]

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  French Bulldog

  (AKC Non-Sporting Group) Height: up to 30 centimeters. Size: Small. Weight: up to 12 kg. Availability: Difficult to find. History: The French Bulldog was originally developed in England as a miniature version of the English Bulldog. These small bulldogs were adopted by the Nottingham lace workers who went to France and took their dogs with them. [...]

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  German Sheperd

  One of the most versatile breeds, the German Shepherd Dog probably originated from crosses of several shepherd breeds in Germany. The breed is so intelligent and learns so readily that it has been used as a sheepdog, guard, in police work, as a guide for the blind, in search and rescue service and in the military.

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  German Shorthaired Pointer

  (AKC Sporting Group) Height: 58 to 64 cm (male); 53 to 58 cm (female). Size: Large. Weight: 25 to 32 kg (male); 21 to 27 kg (female). Availability: Widely available. History: Nineteenth-century German hunters required a dog with a good nose who would point within a reasonable distance for a man hunting on foot. The dog needed to retrieve [...]

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  Golden Retriever

  The Golden Retriever was first developed in the British Isles, probably from crosses between a yellow Flat-Coat Retriever, light-coated Tweed Water Spaniels, other spaniels, setters and even the Newfoundland.

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  Great Dane

  (AKC Working Group) Height: over 76 cm (male); over 71 cm (female). Size: Very Large. Weight: 61 kg to 68 kg (male); 54 kg to 61 kg (female). Availability: Widely available. History: Drawings of a large dog similar to today’s Great Dane were discovered on Egyptian monuments over 5000 years old. However, selective breeding of this type of dog began centuries [...]

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  Labrador Retriever

  The Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular breeds in the United States. Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, the Labrador was trained to jump overboard into the icy waters and haul fisherman’s nets to shore.

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  Maltese

  (AKC Toy Group) Height: averages 20 cm. Size: Very Small. Weight: up to 3 kg. Availability: Widely available. History: The Maltese is a very old breed, mentioned in ancient Greek writings and portrayed in ancient Egyptian statuary. The breed was probably named for the Mediterranean island of Malta. It is thought that these lively little dogs were [...]

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  Mastiff

  (AKC Working Group) Height: over 76 cm (male); over 69 cm (female). Size: Very Large. Weight: 77 kg to 90 kg. Availability: May take some effort to find. History: Found in Britain as early as the Roman invasion, the noble Old English Mastiff was probably brought to that island by Phoenician traders as early as the 6th century BC. [...]

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  Pembroke Welsh Corgi

  (AKC Herding Group) Height: 25 to 30  cm. Size: Small. Weight: up to 13 kg (male); up to 13 kg (female). Availability: May take some effort to find. History: There are several theories about the origins of the Welsh Corgi. Both Corgi varieties may be descended from Swedish Vallhunds brought to Wales by Vikings in the 800’s. [...]

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  Pomeranian

  (AKC Toy Group) Height: averages 15  centimeters. Size: Very Small. Weight: 1 kg to 3 kg. Availability: Very popular. History: The Pomeranian was originally descended from the ancient Spitz breeds of the far north which were brought to Europe and used to herd sheep. The Pom ancestors weighed up to 13.6 kilograms. Marie Antoinette, Emile Zola and [...]

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  Poodle (Standard)

  (AKC Non-Sporting Group) Height:  61 cm to 71 cm  (male); 55 cm  to 61 cm (female). Size: Large. Weight: 20 to 29 kg Availability: Very popular. History: The Poodle is most likely descended from early German water retrievers. The name “poodle” probably derives from the German word “Pudel” (one who plays in the water). Hunters clipped the dog’s thick coat to help him swim, leaving [...]

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  Pug

  One of the older breeds, the Pug is believed to have originated before 400 BC in Asia. He was a pet at Tibetan monasteries and later traveled to Japan.

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  Rottweiler

  (AKC Working Group) Height: 61 cm to 68 cm (male); 55 cm to 63 cm (female). Size: Large. Weight: averages 52 kg (male); averages 45 kg (female). Availability: Very popular. History: The Rottweiler, though probably descended from mastiffs accompanying the Roman legions, was named for the German town of Rottweil where the breed was used by butchers to drive herds of [...]

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  Shetland Sheepdog

  (AKC Herding Group) Height: 33 to 43 cm . Size: Small. Weight: averages 8 kg Availability: Very popular. History: The Shetland Sheepdog probably originated from collies brought to the Shetland Isles, off the coast of Scotland. These small shepherds were very gentle when herding the miniature stock. One of the top obedience competition breeds, the Sheltie is [...]

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  Shiba Inu

  (AKC Non-Sporting Group) Height: 37 to 42 cm (male); 34 to 39 cm (female). Size: Small. Weight: averages 11 kg (male); averages 8 kg (female). Availability: May take some effort to find. History: The Shiba is an ancient Asian breed whose ancestors were probably brought to Japan by early immigrants thousands of years ago. Six distinct breeds developed from [...]

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  Shih Tzu

  (AKC Toy Group) Height: 20 cm to 28 cm Size: Very Small. Weight: 4 to 8 kg Availability: Very popular. History: The Shih Tzu, or “lion” dog, probably originated from matings between Tibetan Lhasa Apso dogs brought to China during the 17th century and native Pekingese dogs. The Shih Tzu became a favorite of the Imperial Chinese court. The breed was so [...]

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  Siberian Husky

  Used for centuries by the Chukchi people in Siberia to pull sleds and herd reindeer, the Siberian Husky is a very light-weight sled dog with great stamina and resistance to the elements.

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  Weimaraner

  (AKC Sporting Group) Height: 63 cm to 64 cm (male); 58 cm to 64 cm (female). Size: Large. Weight: 31 to 38 kg (male); 24 to 32 kg (female). Availability: May take some effort to find. History: A dog that some sources believe is a Weimaraner appears as early as the 1600’s in a painting of Van Dyck. The breed was [...]

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  Yorkshire Terrier

  (AKC Toy Group) Height: averages 19 cm Size: Very Small. Weight: up to 3 kg Availability: Very popular. History: There seem to be two different stories about the Yorkshire Terrier’s origins. The first states that the breed was brought to Yorkshire, England by Scottish weavers emigrating to England in the mid-nineteenth century. The second states that the [...]